Do you keep your own personal jump bag

triemal04 said:
It was saying this: Some here think it's a badge of honor not to help people when they don't have to, and I think some of that is pretty backwards. My accountant friend answers tax questions over burgers and beers, and my mechanic friend will diagnose car problems. You can help with what you know how to do too. Given the context of the OP's question, you make it sound as if, if you don't stop and help each and every time to offer help as an EMT or paramedic you are doing something wrong.

If that wasn't the case, great.
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You didn't read the very next line below it, explaining exactly what I meant. Now it all makes sense. Carry on.

Putting yourself in danger by trying to work an MVA you witnessed might be over the top, but you can probably help the nieces and nephews at the family reunion when they crash their bikes.
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And when you add all your comments together, along with this
TF Medic said:
But if you witness a bus full of kids get tboned by a car at an intersection and refuse to stop because you aren't on the clock, well...your moral compass is clearly set differently than mine.
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and in the context of the thread, your opinion sounded very different.

I agree, carry on.
 
Basic first aid is all you can realistically do off-duty, and basic first-aid stuff can all be improvised from the stuff you normally find lying around a house or vehicle. For that reason I've never seen the point in carrying any kind of jump bag, or even a first-aid kit, for that matter.
 
Where I live and work a pair of gloves in the car and a call to 911 suffice just fine in the couple of minutes I would be on scene until on duty units showed up.
As a rule I don't stop unless something looks life threatening and the scene is safe enough for me to approach.
 
Tk11 said:
I'm curious, during my emt course my instructor told us "you all should have your own jump bag with basic stuff in it and keep it in your trunk or car, I have one myself, you don't know what you may run into." I was curious how many of you in ems actually do this?
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I do. In 6 months I've come across 2 MVA that I would be an ******* not too stop at. I just carry basic bleeding control, basic splints, a tourniquet, and lots of gloves, as well as trauma shears, and other PPEs. When people know your an EMT they expect you to do something even if it's just "here put this on the bleed". Plus your biggest tool isn't in a jump bag. The whole concept of pt assessment.
 
I do, but honestly, even before I became an EMT I had half of the stuff in my bag already because my boys are very... rambunctious, and my oldest needs his Benedryl and Epi-Pen. Plus my husband is in the medical universe too so he'd stuff things in my bag too. But I recently found a first aid kit that not only had room for my son's allergy equipment, but it even had equipment to treat shock, including a disposable rescue breather. So now I carry that plus my stethoscope everywhere because it all fits. I've always been a walking pharmacy, now I'm a walking EMT. :D
 
Zredmond said:
I do. In 6 months I've come across 2 MVA that I would be an ******* not too stop at. I just carry basic bleeding control, basic splints, a tourniquet, and lots of gloves, as well as trauma shears, and other PPEs. When people know your an EMT they expect you to do something even if it's just "here put this on the bleed". Plus your biggest tool isn't in a jump bag. The whole concept of pt assessment.
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Ya exactly, I try to make sure i just have basic ABC stuff
I can somewhat make an airway, a mask fore rescue breathing, and bleeding control items
Those and an assessment are the best things you can really do off duty
Besides anything you do off duty is a plus, not like you have a set standard, just do what you can if its compressions, or just getting a story
 
I got an "adventure medical kit" as a Christmas present years ago and it usually lives in my car. I've only ever used band aids.

No airway adjuncts, BVM or dehydrated c-spine gear in it though.
 
I don't carry anything at all. All I can imagine doing is CPR or calling 911. If I saw a truly horrific accident I would stop to at least make sure someone called 911 and put pressure on bleeding, or open an airay. I guess it would not be a bad idea to have some gloves on me. But generally I am very happy to leave work at work. Everyone here seems pretty reasonable in what they carry with them, but there are a lot of folks who go way over the top with their personal heroics.
 
My trunk is a fully loaded Ambo...... Even got that lifepak 15.
I'm a one person trauma team.



....No. I just call 911. Chances are if I stumble upon an accident my kid is probably in the car with me. I will wait for assistance to arrive, but I won't play hero. If I come across someone in cardiac arrest I will preform BLS CPR but that's about it.
 
Eh, I keep it all. Im one of those end of the world survivalist type. Personal use of course. As far as for helping out on the scene somewhere. I have a first aid kit with gloves and mask and knife and tylenol
 
My service issues us a BLS bag. Just the all the essentials for the first 5-6 minutes with a patient. I would not invest in one myself. If you get on a service that issues one like mine, that's a different story. They end sucking up too much money otherwise.
 
Ok. I'm glad I had mine with me last night, like a first aid kit on steroids because I -had- to use mine last night. Now I'm out a bunch of stuff and I have to go restock it. So 2 days after I get licensed, it has been used. And no, it wasnt a bandaid emergency. ;)
 
Amelia said:
Ok. I'm glad I had mine with me last night, like a first aid kit on steroids because I -had- to use mine last night. Now I'm out a bunch of stuff and I have to go restock it. So 2 days after I get licensed, it has been used. And no, it wasnt a bandaid emergency. ;)
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How so?

I'm yet to deal with anything that I was unable to improvise for that would have resulted in a negative outcome.
 
Yeah I usually sit in my car equipped with scanners and blue lights for my county listening waiting for a call so I can go save the day. Listening and waiting to go backboard someone involved in a wreck and put them in the bed of my truck and drive em to the hospital
 
we were in the middle of nowhere- limited resources. He bled through 3 bandaids in about 2 minutes and i had to get him home 20 mns away. realize that I dont have near the experience you guys have and i dis t want blood streaming down his face the entire time. Im going off pure class at this point.
 
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